Car Model History

Third generation · Fox-body · 1979–1993

1982Ford Mustang

The long-running Fox-body, built on Ford’s Fox platform from 1979 to 1993.

Third generation · Fox-body

1982 Ford Mustang — exact-model-year Commons photograph

Photo: “1982 Ford Mustang 3.3 GL (13667933095).jpg” by Kieran White from Manchester, England / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.

Quick facts

Engines
4offered2.3 I4 → 302 "5.0 HO" V8 (2-bbl, GT)
Top output
157hp302 "5.0 HO" V8 (2-bbl, GT)
Production
130,418units
Base price
$6,346base coupe
Today
≈$20,600inflation-adjusted MSRP, not market value

Body stylesCoupe (notchback) · Hatchback (3-door)

Start here

What do you need to know?

This page covers the whole 1982 Ford Mustang model year. Choose your task first; exact trims and engines are separated where the factory offered different versions.

Documented lineup

Find your exact 1982 Mustang

Start with a family, body style, or engine. Every card opens the facts and maintenance information for that factory version.

1factory configurations
Exact factory pairings documentedHow this lineup was verified

These source-backed records identify published body, engine, and transmission combinations. Exact pairings do not by themselves assert that every factory option or special edition is represented.

1versions shown
Two-door hatchback

Ford Mustang Base Two-door hatchback Manual

Body
Two-door hatchback
Engine
2.3-liter inline-four
Gearbox
4-speed manual
Built
Regular production
Open exact version

The 1982 model year

Overview

"The Boss is Back." Ford revived the GT after a 13-year absence and brought back a real 302 V8 — a re-engineered 5.0 High Output rated at 157 hp, with a 2-barrel carb, dual exhaust, and a hotter cam. After three years of downsized engines, the Mustang was a performer again. (Horsepower figures are SAE net.)

Specifications

Engines
  • 2.3 I488 hp
  • 3.3 I687 hp
  • 255 (4.2) V8120 hp
  • 302 "5.0 HO" V8 (2-bbl, GT)157 hp
Transmissions
4-speed manual, 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic
Body styles
Coupe (notchback), Hatchback (3-door)
Base price
$6,346 (base coupe)See what that's worth today →
Production
130,418

Year over year

What changed

  • The GT returned after 13 years — Ford's "The Boss is Back" campaign.
  • The 302 V8 came back as a 157-hp 5.0 High Output (revised cam, dual exhaust, larger 2-bbl carb).
  • The C5 automatic replaced the C4.
  • The 255 (4.2) V8 continued alongside the new 5.0 HO for its final year.

Worth knowing

Notable

  • The performance turning point of the generation — the GT and 5.0 HO revival.
  • The "5.0 HO" badge that defined the rest of the decade starts here.

Living with it

Reliability & ownership notes

  • The 5.0 HO is a robust Windsor small-block with deep parts support.
  • Carbureted cold-start and idle quirks are normal for the era; verify the dual exhaust and HO cam are intact on a 'GT'.
  • Inspect for Fox-body rust.

What it costs now

Price today

Original MSRP$6,346 (base coupe)1982
Inflation-adjusted≈$20,600what that MSRP is worth in today's dollars

Current market value

We don't publish a market estimate for the 1982 model year yet. A valuation ships here only when it can be sourced and dated — we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Original MSRP adjusted for inflation (CPI, 2024); not the car's current market/collector value. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (U.S. city average, all items), annual average.

Maintenance & service parts

Keep your 1982 Mustang on the road

Start with the service interval, then match the engine or exact version you own. Order links appear only when a catalog-backed part number is available, and every listing still needs a fitment check.

Service desk

What this car needs & when

Use this as a service-planning checklist for 1982 Ford Mustang. Start with the interval, confirm which engine or configuration you have, then use an exact ordering reference when one is verified.

Service topics
8
Factory intervals
7
Fitment-scoped
8
Exact references
1

Before orderingIdentify your engine, options and build date.Part numbers and sizes can change within one model year. Shopping links appear only for catalog-backed references; still verify the listing against your vehicle before ordering.

  • Engine oil and filter

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1982 · 2.3L SOHC I4, 3.3L inline-six, 4.2L V8, 5.0L V8 · US

    Published interval: 7,500 mi · normal service

    Source: Operation CHARM — 1982 Ford Mustang factory service schedule mirror · Normal and Severe Service 3,000/7,500/15,000/30,000-mile records; all five listed Mustang engine manuals cross-checked · checked

    Turbo 2.3L engines — normal service

    Applies to: 1982 · 2.3L SOHC turbo I4 · US

    Published interval: 15,000 mi · normal service

    Source: Operation CHARM — 1982 Ford Mustang factory service schedule mirror · Normal and Severe Service 3,000/7,500/15,000/30,000-mile records; all five listed Mustang engine manuals cross-checked · checked

    Severe service — all engines

    Applies to: 1982 · 2.3L SOHC turbo I4, 2.3L SOHC I4, 3.3L inline-six, 4.2L V8, 5.0L V8 · US · Ford severe-service operating conditions

    Published interval: 3,000 mi · severe service

    Source: Operation CHARM — 1982 Ford Mustang factory service schedule mirror · Normal and Severe Service 3,000/7,500/15,000/30,000-mile records; all five listed Mustang engine manuals cross-checked · checked

  • Engine oil filter

    Exact reference available

    Manufacturer application-catalog fitment only; this does not establish an oil-change interval.

    Applies to: 1982 · US

    2.3-liter inline-four

    Baldwin B2

    Applies to: 1982 · 2.3-liter inline-four · US

    Source: Baldwin Filters — Automotive Applications catalog (2017) · Pre-1980 Applications section — Ford 1982, Mustang 2.3-liter inline-four row · checked

    Verified ordering references

    • Service replacementBaldwin B2

      Qty. 1 · Engine oil filter · catalog-listed

      Baldwin's manufacturer application table lists this filter for the stated model year and engine. Confirm the VIN and installed engine before ordering.

      Catalog: Baldwin Filters — Automotive Applications catalog (2017) · Pre-1980 Applications section — Ford 1982, Mustang 2.3-liter inline-four row · checked

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  • Spark plugs

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1982 · 2.3L SOHC I4, 3.3L inline-six, 4.2L V8, 5.0L V8 · US

    Published interval: 30,000 mi

    Source: Operation CHARM — 1982 Ford Mustang factory service schedule mirror · Normal and Severe Service 3,000/7,500/15,000/30,000-mile records; all five listed Mustang engine manuals cross-checked · checked

    Turbo 2.3L engines

    Applies to: 1982 · 2.3L SOHC turbo I4 · US

    Published interval: 15,000 mi

    Source: Operation CHARM — 1982 Ford Mustang factory service schedule mirror · Normal and Severe Service 3,000/7,500/15,000/30,000-mile records; all five listed Mustang engine manuals cross-checked · checked

  • Engine air-filter element

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1982 · 2.3L SOHC turbo I4, 2.3L SOHC I4, 3.3L inline-six, 4.2L V8, 5.0L V8 · US

    Published interval: 30,000 mi · normal service

    Source: Operation CHARM — 1982 Ford Mustang factory service schedule mirror · Normal and Severe Service 3,000/7,500/15,000/30,000-mile records; all five listed Mustang engine manuals cross-checked · checked

  • Engine coolant

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1982 · 2.3L SOHC turbo I4, 2.3L SOHC I4, 3.3L inline-six, 4.2L V8, 5.0L V8 · US

    Published interval: 30,000 mi

    Source: Operation CHARM — 1982 Ford Mustang factory service schedule mirror · Normal and Severe Service 3,000/7,500/15,000/30,000-mile records; all five listed Mustang engine manuals cross-checked · checked

  • Crankcase ventilation filter

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1982 · 2.3L SOHC turbo I4, 2.3L SOHC I4, 3.3L inline-six, 4.2L V8, 5.0L V8 · US

    Published interval: 30,000 mi

    Source: Operation CHARM — 1982 Ford Mustang factory service schedule mirror · Normal and Severe Service 3,000/7,500/15,000/30,000-mile records; all five listed Mustang engine manuals cross-checked · checked

  • Fuel filter

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1982 · 2.3L SOHC turbo I4, 2.3L SOHC I4, 3.3L inline-six, 4.2L V8, 5.0L V8 · US · Ford severe-service operating conditions

    Published interval: 30,000 mi · severe service

    Source: Operation CHARM — 1982 Ford Mustang factory service schedule mirror · Normal and Severe Service 3,000/7,500/15,000/30,000-mile records; all five listed Mustang engine manuals cross-checked · checked

  • Automatic transmission fluid

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1982 · 2.3L SOHC turbo I4, 2.3L SOHC I4, 3.3L inline-six, 4.2L V8, 5.0L V8 · automatic · US · Ford severe-service operating conditions

    Published interval: 30,000 mi · severe service

    Source: Operation CHARM — 1982 Ford Mustang factory service schedule mirror · Normal and Severe Service 3,000/7,500/15,000/30,000-mile records; all five listed Mustang engine manuals cross-checked · checked

Collect

Bring this model year home

Find a scale model using the exact year, make, and model—not a generic generation search.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — "Ford Mustang (third generation)"
  2. FoxStang — 5.0 Fox-body engine specs
  3. Hagerty
  4. MustangSpecs — per-year base MSRP

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